Abu Ghraib photos

I just realized what has been bothering me about this situation with the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by US troops (other than the very fact that this situation exists in the first place). Why did CBS air the photos? It was bad enough that the people in those photos were treated in such a deplorable manner. But why did CBS have to add insult to injury by releasing them to the entire world? How often are we allowed to see photos and evidence from other on going investigations? How often do we get to the photos and evidence even after the investigations are over? When was the last time you saw pictures of the beaten and broken bodies of crime victims in the news? That kind of stuff is usually kept under wraps for the purpose of protecting the rights of the victims and the accused. And to insure that justice can properly be served for all involved.

The other day the Washington Post published even more photos from Abu Ghraib prison with the disclaimer that the paper had not determined whether the photos had been doctored or not. Then why on earth did they publish them? I thought that knowingly or unknowingly publishing doctored photos was considered irresponsible and unethical. A Los Angeles Times photographer got himself fired after a photo that he had deliberately doctored to appeared on the front page of the newspaper.

I can’t help but think that the release of the Abu Ghraib photos had nothing to do with justice, transparency, or holding those responsible accountable. This was about ratings, sales, and painting the US in the worst light possible.

Releasing those photos from Abu Ghraib in the first place and then showing them over and over again was almost as bad as what those soldiers did to those prisoners.